JP3447828B2 - Refrigerant gas control device for heat pump system - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to ammonia (NH ₃ ),
The present invention relates to a refrigerant gas control device that detects and processes refrigerant gas leakage in a heat pump system that uses water-soluble refrigerants such as ethylene (ethene), propylene (propene), and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing a conventional example of a heat pump system for a water-soluble refrigerant gas using ammonia (NH ₃ ) equipped with an ice heat storage tank. In FIG. 2, 1
Is an ice heat storage tank, 2 is a heat exchange section provided in the ice heat storage tank 1, 3 is a compressor, 4 is a condenser, 5 is an expansion valve, and these devices constitute a known heat pump system. There is.

That is, the water-soluble refrigerant gas compressed by the compressor 3 (typically, the NH ₃ refrigerant will be mainly described below) is cooled by the condenser 4 and introduced from the cooling fluid pipe 13. After being heat-exchanged with the fluid to be cooled and liquefied, the pressure is reduced by the expansion valve 5 and evaporated and vaporized in the ice heat storage tank 1,
After absorbing heat from the water in the ice heat storage tank 1 to lower the temperature of the water to form supercooled water, the water is sucked into the compressor 3, and this is repeated thereafter.

By the heat pump cycle as described above, a liquid phase portion 1b made of supercooled water mixed with sherbet-like ice is generated in the ice heat storage tank 1.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a jet pipe provided in a liquid phase portion (supercooled water) 1b in the lower portion of the ice heat storage tank 1, and a gas phase portion in an upper portion of the ice heat storage tank 1 via a pipe line 8 and a pump 6. It is connected in 1a. Then, the gas in the ice heat storage tank 1 is sucked and pressure-fed in the pipe line 8 by the pump 6, and is ejected into the liquid phase portion 1b by the ejection ports 7a opened in the ejection pipe 7. As a result, the heat exchange efficiency in the heat exchange section 2 is improved.

Reference numeral 10 is the compressor 3, the condenser 4, and the expansion valve 5.
A machine room for accommodating heat pump components such as the above and other related equipment, and 36 is an air intake provided at the bottom of the machine room 10.

In the heat pump system as described above, NH ₃ (ammonia) is used as a refrigerant, so that harmful NH ₃ gas leaks into the machine room 10. 1
Reference numeral 5 denotes an NH ₃ gas detector for detecting leakage of NH ₃ gas in the machine room 10. The NH ₃ gas detector 15
The detection signal from is input to the control device 16 via the line 21.

A water sprinkler 19 having a large number of jets is installed in the upper part of the machine room 10. The water sprinkler 19 has a liquid phase portion 1b below the ice storage tank 1 via a water pipe 18 and a water pump 17. Is connected inside.

When the NH ₃ gas detector 15 detects the leakage of NH ₃ gas in the machine room 10,
This detection signal is input to the control device 16 via the line 21. Upon receiving the detection signal, the control device 16 transmits a start signal for the water pump 17 to the water pump 17 via the line 22, and the water pump 17 is started.

By the water pump 17, the water in the ice heat storage tank 1 is sent to the sprinkler 19 through the water pipe 18, and is spouted into the machine room 10 from the spout hole of the sprinkler 19. As a result, the leaked NH ₃ gas in the machine room 10 is liquefied and recovered from the lower part of the machine room 10 and is prevented from being released into the atmosphere.

[0011]

In the NH ₃ recovery device in the conventional heat pump system as described above, water is sprayed into the machine room 10 from the water spraying device 19 installed in the upper part of the machine room 10. Since water droplets and liquefied NH ₃ fall on the equipment in the machine room 10, it is observed that the equipment malfunctions.

Further, corrosion of the equipment is observed by contact with liquefied NH _{3 and} other water-soluble refrigerants. Therefore, when such a problem occurs, it takes a lot of time and cost to repair the device, which reduces the operating rate of the device and increases the operating cost.

An object of the present invention is to ensure that the water-soluble refrigerant gas leaked into the machine room can be recovered in a gas state,
It is intended to prevent malfunction of equipments due to leakage of NH _{3 and} other water-soluble refrigerant gas, prevent occurrence of rust and corrosion, improve operation efficiency of the apparatus, and reduce operation cost.

[0014]

The present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and is characterized in that NH _{3 and} other water-soluble refrigerants exchange heat with a heat storage tank, preferably water in an ice storage tank. In the heat pump system configured as described above, a detecting unit that detects a leak of a water-soluble refrigerant gas in a machine room in which the equipment of the heat pump system is stored, and the ice heat storage tank or the sensible heat storage tank (hereinafter referred to as ice heat storage tank) Of the blowout mechanism including a blower for aeration configured to be capable of jetting gas into the liquid phase part opened in the liquid phase part, and the gas from the gas phase part of the upper part of the machine chamber and the ice heat storage tank An intake pipe line for supplying gas to the jetting mechanism via an air flow distributor whose intake rate is adjustable,
Based on the detection signal from the detection means, the intake rate is controlled by the air volume distributor so that the gas in the machine room can be sent to the ejection mechanism according to the amount of leaked refrigerant in the machine room. It is what Such a device is provided with a detection means for detecting leakage of NH _{3 and} other water-soluble refrigerant gas in the machine chamber, a first gas suction pipe line opened to the machine chamber, and a gas in the ice heat storage tank. A second gas suction pipe line opened to a phase portion, a jetting mechanism configured to jet a gas into the liquid phase portion of the ice heat storage tank, the first gas suction pipe line and the second gas Based on a detection signal from the feeding means for feeding the gas to the ejection mechanism through the air volume distributor whose gas intake ratio from the suction pipe line is adjustable, and the detection signal from the detection means, And a control device for controlling the suction ratio and sending the gas in the machine chamber to the ejection mechanism in accordance with the amount of leaked refrigerant in the machine chamber.

Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that the detection means is installed in the first gas suction pipe line together with the machine chamber or instead of the machine chamber.

Further, according to the present invention, in the case where the water-soluble refrigerant is NH ₃ refrigerant, the detecting means detects PH in the liquid phase portion of the ice storage tank together with or instead of the machine chamber. It is preferable that the PH detector is configured as a PH detector.

[0017]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, for example, the gas in the machine room and the gas in the gas phase portion of the ice heat accumulator are guided to the air flow distributor, and further, the ice is distributed from the air flow distributor through the blower. It is sent to a jetting mechanism that opens into the liquid phase portion at the bottom of the heat storage tank and jets from the jetting mechanism into the liquid phase portion.

On the other hand, the leakage of NH _{3 and} other water-soluble refrigerant gas in the machine room is detected by the detection means and input to the control device, and the control device controls the gas of the machine room and the ice regenerator to the air flow distributor. The suction rate of the gas from the phase portion is controlled, and when the refrigerant gas leakage amount is large, the suction rate of the gas from the machine room, that is, the air containing the refrigerant leakage gas is increased and sent to the ejection mechanism.

Therefore, according to the present invention, since the air is sucked from the machine room to the blower, even if there is a minute refrigerant leakage less than the reaction of the detection means installed in the machine room, the ice heat storage tank is aerated. It is mixed and blown in as air. Therefore, the leaking refrigerant gas in the machine room is quickly dissolved in the water in the ice storage tank and is not released to the atmosphere. Moreover, since the water temperature in the ice storage tank is almost 0 ° C. during operation of the device, the water-soluble refrigerant gas is NH
_In the case of ₃ gases, the leaking NH ₃ gas completely dissolves in the water (liquid phase part) in the ice regenerator because its dissolving capacity is large.

[0020] NH ₃ if a relatively large amount of NH ₃ gas, such as responsive to leak detector of gas is leaked, the machine room air of the airflow distribution device which receives a signal from the leak detector of the NH ₃ gas Since a large amount of air is sucked into the blower by adjusting the ratio, and the temperature of the water in the ice storage tank has a larger dissolving capacity than normal temperature water during operation as described above, leaked NH ₃ gas is released into the atmosphere. It can be completely dissolved and recovered in the water in the ice heat storage without spilling.

Therefore, the present invention can completely solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art because the leaked NH ₃ gas can be prevented from flowing out into the atmosphere without directly spraying water into the machine room.

Furthermore, when it becomes impossible to detect the leakage NH ₃ gas in the machine room by failure of the detector, the detection of the NH ₃ gas leakage by detecting the PH of the liquid phase portion of the ice thermal storage tank It becomes possible to control the intake rate of the air flow distributor, and the device can be operated smoothly and safely. Furthermore, by installing an NH ₃ gas leak detection sensor in the suction pipe line of the blower, especially in the middle of the suction pipe line from the machine room on the upstream side of the air flow distributor, the apparent sensitivity is increased, and NH ₃ gas leak detection can be performed quickly. It enables precise control of the air volume distributor. In addition, in the present invention, the water-soluble refrigerant gas is not limited to NH ₃ , and can be applied to an apparatus using a water-soluble refrigerant such as ethylene or propylene.
_Three refrigerants are effective in the present invention because they are highly corrosive and can be easily detected by detecting PH.
Further, ethylene and propylene are flammable, and the present invention is effective in consideration of safety in this respect.

[0023]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIG. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto, but merely illustrative examples. Nothing more. FIG. 1 is a system diagram of an NH ₃ heat pump system including an ice heat storage tank according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is an ice heat storage tank, 2 is a heat exchange section provided in the ice heat storage tank 1, 3 is a compressor for compressing the NH ₃ refrigerant gas that has passed through the heat exchange section 2, 4 is a condenser, Reference numeral 5 is an expansion valve, and these devices constitute a known heat pump system.

That is, in the heat pump system, the refrigerant (NH ₃ ) gas at the outlet of the heat exchange section 2 compressed by the compressor 3 using, for example, night power is passed through the gas pipe 11 to the condenser 4. After entering, where it is cooled and liquefied by exchanging heat with the cooling fluid introduced from the cooling fluid conduit 13, it enters the expansion valve 5 through the liquid conduit 12, where it is decompressed and stored in the ice heat storage tank 1. Is introduced into the heat exchanging section 2 of the ice storage unit 2, where it evaporates and vaporizes, and it absorbs heat from the water in the ice storage tank 1 to lower the temperature of the water into supercooled water, which is then sucked into the compressor 3. Repeat the cycle.

By the heat pump cycle, supercooled water containing sherbet-like ice is generated in the ice heat storage tank 1. When this system is used for cooling, during daytime operation, the heat exchange section 2 in the ice heat storage tank 1 is used as a condenser, the condenser 4 is used as an evaporator, and the refrigerant (NH ₃ ) is used in the opposite direction to the above cycle. The cooling target air (indoor air or the like) may be caused to flow through the pipe line 13, and the ice-mixed water in the ice heat storage tank is circulated with the load heat source via a pump (not shown). It may be configured as follows.

Reference numeral 10 is the compressor 3, the condenser 4, and the expansion valve 5.
A machine room for accommodating heat pump components such as the above and other related equipment, and 36 is an air intake provided at the bottom of the machine room 10.

Reference numeral 7 denotes an ejection pipe immersed in a liquid (supercooled water) in the lower portion of the ice heat storage tank 1, and has a large number of gas ejection holes 7
The inlet end a is provided with a and is connected to the outlet end of the air flow distributor 31 described later via the pipe 32 and the blower 6.

Reference numeral 31 denotes an air flow distributor, which has two inlet ends and one outlet end, and one inlet end is connected to the upper space of the machine room 10 via the pipe line 34 and the other inlet end is connected to the other end. Each of them is connected to the vapor phase portion 1a in the upper portion of the ice heat storage tank 1 via the pipe 33, and the outlet end thereof is connected to the suction port of the blower 6 via the pipe 32 as described above.

In this embodiment, the air flow distributor 3
1 is a rotary valve type distributor, and the ratio of the amount of intake gas (NH ₃ gas or the like) from the machine chamber 10 to the amount of intake gas from the gas phase portion 1a of the ice heat storage tank 1 depends on the rotation angle of the valve body 31a. It is changing. The air volume distributor 31 is not limited to this as long as it has a distribution function.

Numeral 15 is provided in the machine room 10
In the NH ₃ gas detector for detecting the NH ₃ gas leaking into the chamber 0, the NH ₃ gas is lighter than the air, so it is better to place it in the upper part of the machine room 10, preferably near the opening of the suction pipe line 34. It is better to install in 16 is a control unit, NH ₃ gas detection signal from the NH ₃ detector 15,15A is input to the control unit 16 via the line 21, 21A.

The controller 16 controls the NH₃ Gas detector 1
NH from 5, 15A₃ Gas leak detection signal or PH
PH detection in the liquid phase portion 1b of the ice heat storage tank 1 from the detector 40
In response to the signal, the air volume distributor 31 receives the signal from the inside of the machine room 10.
Amount of gas suction and gas suction from the gas phase part 1a of the ice storage tank 1
The control device 1 controls the inhalation ratio with the amount.
The control signal for the inhalation rate from 6 is sent via the line 35 to the control signal.
It is transmitted to the air volume distributor 31. In this case, the air volume distribution 31
NH in the suction pipe line 34 from the machine room 10 on the upstream side of the reactor 3
Appearance by installing the gas leak detector 15A
The degree goes up and NH₃Wind with gas leak detection
It enables precise distribution control of the quantity distributor. .

Reference numeral 40 denotes a PH detector provided in the liquid phase portion 1b in the ice heat storage tank 1, and a PH detection signal from the detector 40 is input to the control device 16 via the line 41. In addition, the PH detector 40, especially in the arc, is
₃ Leakage N in machine room 10 due to failure of detector 15
When H ₃ gas cannot be detected, NH ₃ gas leakage can be easily detected by detecting PH in the water of the ice heat storage tank 1, and the intake rate of the air flow distributor 31 is controlled. Therefore, the device can be operated smoothly and safely.

[0033] In the above NH ₃ heat pump system configured as described, when there is leakage of NH ₃ gas in the machine chamber 10, the NH ₃ gas detector 15 detects the leakage NH ₃ gas, the detection signal Control device 1 via line 21
6 is input.

Further, the control device 16 includes a suction pipe line 3
The PH of the liquid phase portion 1b of the ice heat storage tank 1 detected by the NH ₃ detector 15A of No. 4 and the PH detector 40 is input through the lines 21A and 41.

When the blower 6 is operated in this state, the gas in the machine room 10 and the gas in the gas phase portion 1a of the ice heat storage tank 1 are sucked into the air volume distributor 31 via the pipelines 34 and 33, respectively. Introduced into the mouth.

The gas distributed at the predetermined intake ratio by the air flow distributor 31 is sucked by the pump 32 and guided to the ejection pipe 7 via the pipe 32, and the ice storage tank 1 is ejected from the ejection port 7a. Is jetted out into the liquid phase part 1b.

In the control device 16, when the amount of leaked NH ₃ gas in the machine room 10 detected by the NH ₃ gas detector 15 becomes large, the distribution valve 3 of the air flow distributor 31.
The opening of 1a is adjusted so that the rate of gas suction from the conduit 34 on the machine room 10 side is increased. Leakage N in the machine room 10
When the H ₃ gas is minute, it can be detected by the NH ₃ detector 15A in the suction conduit 34.

As a result, the leaked NH ₃ gas in the machine room 10 is blown together with the air in the machine room 10 through the pipe 34, the air flow distributor 31, and the pipe 32 even if the amount thereof is minute. 6 is blown into the liquid phase portion 1b of the ice heat storage tank 1 by the blower 6 from the jet pipe 7.

At this time, the vapor phase portion 1a of the ice heat storage tank 1
The gas (air) therein is also merged with the air containing NH ₃ gas from the machine room 10 at a constant rate by the air flow distributor 31, and is blown out from the blower pipe 6 into the liquid phase portion 1b by the blower pipe 7. Be punished. Therefore, although the machine room 10 takes in fresh air from the air intake port, all the air in the machine room is sent to the ice heat storage tank, and the ice heat storage tank also has a gas phase portion 1a and a liquid phase portion 1b. Since a circulating closed circuit is formed between the pipes 32, leakage NH ₃ in the machine room 10
The gas quickly dissolves in the liquid phase portion 1b of the ice heat storage tank 1 and is not released into the atmosphere.

Further, since the temperature of the liquid phase portion 1b of the ice heat storage tank 1 is almost 0 ° C. during the operation of the apparatus, the NH ₃ gas is more easily melted at a level several times higher than that of water at room temperature, and the NH ₃ gas is melted. Since the capacity is large, the leaked NH ₃ gas in the machine room 10 is completely dissolved in water and recovered without flowing out to the atmosphere.

When the NH ₃ gas detector 15 is inoperative due to a failure or the like, the control device 16 controls the intake ratio of the air volume distributor 31 according to the PH detection signal from the PH detector 40. Can be operated smoothly.

[0042]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
A gas suction pipe that connects the gas phase of the machine room and the ice heat storage chamber to the liquid phase of the ice heat storage chamber is provided, and the confluence of the machine room side gas suction line and the ice heat storage tank side gas suction line An air flow distributor is installed in the air conditioner to detect the leakage of, for example, NH ₃ refrigerant gas in the machine room and input it to the control device. The control device controls the air flow distributor to determine the leakage amount of the NH ₃ refrigerant gas in the machine room. According to the configuration, the suction ratio of gas from the machine room and the ice heat storage chamber is controlled, so that the leaked NH ₃ refrigerant gas in the machine room can be quickly dissolved in the liquid phase portion of the ice heat storage tank, and the atmosphere Not released.

Therefore, by controlling the intake ratio of the air volume distributor by the control device, the intake ratio of the gas from the machine chamber is changed according to the leakage amount of the NH ₃ refrigerant gas in the machine chamber. Even if the NH ₃ refrigerant gas leaks, the entire leaked NH ₃ refrigerant gas can be melted in the ice heat storage tank and can be prevented from being released into the atmosphere.

In particular, since the temperature in the ice heat storage tank is approximately 0 ° C., the amount of NH ₃ refrigerant gas dissolved is larger than that of water at room temperature, so that the leaked NH ₃ refrigerant gas is completely removed from the water in the ice heat storage tank. It can be dissolved in.

Therefore, a sprinkler such as the conventional one is not required, and malfunctions of equipment in the machine room due to water sprinkling, corrosion of the equipment and the like are prevented, and the operation efficiency of the equipment is improved as compared with the conventional one. In addition, operating costs are significantly reduced. Also, if it becomes impossible to detect the leaked NH ₃ refrigerant gas in the machine room due to a failure of the detector, etc., the PH of the liquid phase part of the ice heat storage tank should be detected to control the intake ratio of the air volume distributor. This allows the device to operate smoothly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing an NH ₃ refrigerant gas control device in a heat pump system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows N in a heat pump system according to a conventional example.
System diagram showing of H ₃ refrigerant gas control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Ice Heat Storage Tank 1a Gas Phase Section 1b Liquid Phase Section 2 Heat Exchange Section 7 Jet Tube 10 Machine Room 15, 15A NH ₃ Detector 16 Control Device 31 Air Volume Distributor 33, 34 Intake Pipeline 40 PH Detector

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Katsumi Fujima 2-13-1, Botan, Koto-ku, Tokyo Stock Company Maekawa Works (72) Inventor Kazuo Hirashima 2-3-1, Botan, Koto-ku, Tokyo Stock Company Maekawa Seisakusho (56) Reference JP-A-3-91634 (JP, A) JP-A-6-94338 (JP, A) JP-A-60-155894 (JP, A) JP-A-6-313591 (JP, A) A) (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F25B 49/02

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A heat pump system configured to exchange heat between NH ₃ or other water-soluble refrigerant and water in a sensible heat storage tank or an ice storage tank (hereinafter referred to as an ice storage tank). A detection means for detecting leakage of a refrigerant gas in a machine room accommodating the device, and a jetting mechanism configured to jet a gas into the liquid phase part opened in the liquid phase part of the ice heat storage tank, A suction pipe line is provided for sucking gas from the machine room and the vapor phase portion of the ice heat storage tank, and for supplying gas to the jetting mechanism via an air volume distributor whose gas suction ratio is adjustable. The heat pump system is configured so that the suction ratio is controlled by the air volume distributor based on the detection signal of the above, and the gas in the machine chamber can be sent to the ejection mechanism according to the amount of leaked refrigerant in the machine chamber. Refrigerant gas control device. 2. A detection means for detecting leakage of NH _{3 and} other water-soluble refrigerant gas in the machine chamber, a first gas suction pipe line opened to the machine chamber, and a vapor phase part of the ice heat storage tank. A second gas suction pipe line, a jetting mechanism configured to jet a gas into the liquid phase portion of the ice heat storage tank, the first gas suction pipe line and the second gas suction pipe The gas intake rate of the gas from the air passage and the feeding means for feeding the gas to the ejection mechanism via the air flow rate distributor, and the intake rate of the air flow rate distributor based on the detection signal from the detection means. 2. A refrigerant gas control device for a heat pump system according to claim 1, further comprising: a control device for controlling the temperature of the refrigerant in the machine chamber to supply the gas in the machine chamber to the ejection mechanism according to the amount of refrigerant leaked in the machine chamber. . 3. The detection means together with the machine chamber,
Alternatively, the refrigerant gas control device of the heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant gas control device is installed in the first gas suction pipe line instead of in the machine room. 4. When the water-soluble refrigerant is an NH ₃ refrigerant, the detection means is a PH detector for detecting PH in the liquid phase portion of the ice heat storage tank, in place of or in place of the machine chamber. The refrigerant gas control device of the heat pump system according to claim 1, which is configured.